by K. M. Scott
“It’s not a big deal, Josie. We had sex. It was pretty incredible. Tonight I went over to his house and we had sex again.”
“So are you two dating?” Erin asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
I didn’t know how to answer that. So far, all we’d done was have the most phenomenal sex of my life. He had been avoiding me after our first time together, which wasn’t a good thing, but that had been because he thought I expected him to court me like I was some maiden who expected a man to marry her once he slept with her. The truth was I liked the idea of taking it slow with Cash, but for an entirely different reason than he did. His was fear of commitment. Mine was fear of him, or more accurately, my fear of falling too hard for him.
“I’m not sure what we’re doing. I know I like him and find him unbelievably attractive. I think he feels something similar for me. Other than that, I can’t say.”
Erin appeared satisfied with that answer. Josie, on the other hand, had already moved on to the juicier details of my time with Cash. “So, what’s he like? Was I right? Is he incredible in bed?”
I tried not to smile at her description of him, but I couldn’t stop myself. The man was a sex god. Not that I wanted to tell them that, though. For the first time ever, I wanted to keep that part all to myself. So instead, I rolled my eyes and said, “I’ll say this. The guy isn’t all just good looks and money, okay?”
“I knew it! I knew beneath those expensive suits was a guy who knew how to take care of a woman. This is so great! You need this, honey. This is exactly what you’ve been missing in life. I knew that job was going to be good for you.”
Erin reached over and squeezed my forearm. “I think as long as you’re having a good time, that’s good. You know this is going to kill Jake, though, don’t you?”
“He doesn’t feel that way about me, Erin. We’re just friends.”
“And anyway, he knows he’s always been out of his league with Liv,” Josie added. “Money isn’t everything, Erin.”
“I know. I’m just saying I think he’s always liked Liv more than just friends. The last time I saw him the first thing he asked about was her and how she was faring at her new job at Club X.”
“Well, for someone who’s supposed to like me, he sure has an odd way of showing it. I called him after I got the job to say thanks for paving the way, and he barely had a minute to talk,” I said, remembering how abrupt he’d been with me that day on the phone.
“He’s been a dick ever since his stepmother began telling his father he needs to be doing something more with his life than spending their money. From what I hear, stepmama has been pressing pretty hard to make Jakey get a job and stop mooching off his family,” Josie said with a grin, displaying the dislike she had for him.
“Oh, Josie. You always want to find the negative in Jake. He’s had it tough since his father remarried,” Erin said in his defense, as she always did.
“I think somewhere between the hate you have for him because you used to date him a million years ago, Josie, and the sympathy you have for him because you remember the boy he was in high school, Erin, is where I stand on Jake. He’s a good friend, and we all had a good time back in the day. Those days are long gone, though. It might be time for him to grow up.”
“Maybe, but I still think he’s going to be heartbroken over this, Liv,” Erin said with a slight frown.
Josie rolled her eyes. “Forget him. I want to know more about Cassian March. You’ve obviously decided to go military silence on us regarding the sex, which makes me think he must be off the charts fucking good, but you need to be giving me something before I leave here tonight. I’m a single woman who works way too much. I’m living vicariously through you these days. Don’t let me down.”
Erin’s mouth hung open in shock. “Josie!”
“It’s okay. How about this? I’ll tell you one of my favorite things about him. Sound good?”
They both nodded, and I tried to decide what I liked best about Cash. There was no denying he was gorgeous. Those blue eyes made me want to melt when he looked at me. And that body. Oh, that body! And those tattoos. And the piercing. The list was never ending. I’d never been with a man so incredibly sexy. I had to choose something, but telling them about those things didn’t feel right. They weren’t going to let me get away with saying his business acumen made me hot, though.
“He’s got this way of talking dirty that makes my toes curl.”
Josie’s eyes lit up. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say something like that about a man, you know that? I expected you to say you liked his clothes or something about his eyes. That you went with something so sexy tells me he’s good for you, Liv.”
Erin agreed. “I think so too. Just remember as long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”
“I am. It’s nothing serious, and I’m okay with that, guys.” Standing from my chair, I hugged the two of them as I led them to the door. “Now let me get some sleep because I have work tomorrow like you two. I’ll call you.”
“Night, honey,” Erin said as she hugged me again. “Call me before the weekend, okay?”
“Got it.”
Josie waited for Erin to begin walking down the stairs and whispered, “By the way, you’re walking like you just got off a horse. He must be one hell of a man in that department too.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks in an embarrassed blush and I rolled my eyes, but the evidence was there. Josie grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I love it! Call me. I won’t promise not to want details, but call me anyway.”
“You bet. Be careful. I’ll talk to you later this week.”
Minutes later, I climbed into bed and stretched my aching legs. Even now, hours later, it still felt like he was inside me, stretching me as we fucked. Sometimes even pain was a good thing.
* * *
Dressed in black pants and a light green shirt that only served to make his dark hair look almost black, Cash stood in the doorway to my office just after six on Friday afternoon looking like he had a secret he couldn’t wait to tell someone.
In that sexy voice that made an ache form in the pit of my stomach, he asked, “What are you doing around eight tonight?”
In truth, I’d been at my desk since eleven that morning working hard on the end of the quarter numbers and felt pretty tired. However, the sparkle in his eyes told me if I could just push past that, I might find something great on the other side. “I don’t know. I’ve been here since before noon, so I was probably just going to go home at seven. Do you need me for something?”
He walked in and closed the door before coming around my desk to stand behind me. Bending down, he rested his hands on my shoulders, making my body instantly come alive, and whispered, “I feel like taking a drive. Want to come with me?”
I closed my eyes and leaned back against him, loving the feel of his muscular chest. “Sure. Where are we going?”
“Just down the coast. I’ll meet you outside the club at eight sharp.”
His refusal to walk out with me past Stefan and the rest of the employees who’d be in the club at that time stung, but I quickly reminded myself that we weren’t officially a couple. We’d gotten together once more after that night at his condo, and I had a feeling he wanted more, but so far we were just two people having mind-blowing sex and I wasn’t interested in spoiling that by putting restrictions on it.
I tilted my head back to look up at him. “How will I know where you are?” I joked.
Flashing me a stunning smile, he kissed me and said, “I’ll be the man in the black car waiting for the gorgeous redhead.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be the woman looking for the hot guy in a black car. See you at eight.”
“Good. By the way, I’ve been hard since I decided on this, so you’ve been warned. If we don’t make it all the way to our destination, I’m more than prepared to fuck you in the car.”
He walked away before I could answer, but it wouldn’t have mattered. I had no words when he said th
ings like that. The man had the ability to make me wet just with a few really hot words. I could definitely get used to that.
The next hour and a half flew by in a blur as I spent the time fantasizing about where Cash might be taking me. Needless to say, my reports didn’t get done, but for one of the first times in my adult life, I didn’t care that I hadn’t taken care of business. It felt good to venture off the straight and narrow.
Pushing my chair out from my desk, I looked down at my outfit and shook my head. My black pencil skirt and pink silk blouse weren’t exactly the look I would have chosen for a night out with Cash, but I didn’t have other clothes with me and something told me that the man who’d practically promised me he wouldn’t want to wait until we got to wherever we were going to have sex wasn’t going to want to stop so I could slip into something more comfortable.
I straightened my look and closing the door to my office glanced over at Cash’s and saw his door already closed. The club was still quiet, so I headed toward the front door and whatever he had planned for me. Just before I hit the exit, I heard someone call my name and turned to see Stefan standing there with a questioning look on his face.
“Taking off early tonight? Don’t you usually stay late on Fridays?”
He’d obviously noticed my Friday night schedule for the past month. Struggling to keep my expression as emotionless as possible, I shook my head. “No, I have plans tonight. Have a good one, Stefan.”
“You too! Hey, by the way, is Cash still back in his office?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t notice before I left. I guess I was preoccupied. Gotta go. Have a good night.”
Hurrying out of the door, I hoped I hadn’t been as obvious as I felt in front of Stefan. He definitely seemed suspicious, but maybe it was all in my head. Whether it was or not, I’d deal with that on Monday.
I looked up and down the street outside the club but saw no black car. Was I early? I stood there for a moment and then my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number but answered it anyway. “Hello?”
A voice like silk moaned into the phone and said, “You look so fucking hot. Look down the block to your right.”
I turned my head and there was Cash leaning against a black sports car looking sexier than I thought a man could. Gone were the dress pants and shirt, replaced by jeans and a black T-shirt. From a distance, he sort of looked like Stefan, strangely enough.
“I see a black car, but I don’t know that man. The Cash I know is always in a suit. This guy looks pretty relaxed and casual.”
“Smart ass. I see a very hot redhead. Know her? She’s supposed to come with me.”
I chuckled and pretended to look around. “I don’t see her. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I started down the block to where he was parked. “You’re making me walk to you?”
“Mmmm…I like watching you walk. See you in a minute.”
He was still leaning against the side of his car when I finally reached him, and I saw by the smile he wore that he was enjoying himself. “Enjoy the show?”
Sliding his arms around me, he cupped my ass through my skirt and pressed a kiss just below my ear. “Immensely. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
Tapping me lightly on the ass, he winked. “It’s a surprise. Now get in the car and we can get out of here.”
“What kind of car is this? It’s gorgeous!” I asked as he opened the passenger door for me.
“A Maserati GranTurismo. Wait until you see how it rides.”
We drove for about two hours in the most luxurious car I’d ever been in, and for the first time, we talked—really talked. Always guarded, Cash played his cards close to the vest, but I learned more about how Kane fit into the March brothers’ business and became an equal partner in Club X. I sensed Cash liked his half-brother more than his own brother and stayed away from any questions about Stefan, sure from my time working at the club that there was some bad blood between them. To be honest, I really didn’t want to ask because I didn’t want to find out the man I was falling for had done something terrible to his own flesh and blood. For at least the time being, I wanted to believe Cash was the great guy I’d built him up to be.
I also learned that Cash could be really funny when he let himself be. Not that I didn’t really like the man he was at work, but to see him smile and laugh instead of trying to be professional all the time made me even crazier about him.
We were so busy talking and having a good time that I didn’t realize where we’d driven to. When he finally stopped the car in front of a beachside house, I stared out in confusion. A whitewashed cottage didn’t seem like his style.
“Is this yours?”
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Yeah.”
“It doesn’t seem like you. I guess I just associate you with the only other places I’ve seen you in. You know, your office and condo are clean, minimalist. This seems very…quaint.”
“It is. It was my father’s and it transferred to me when he died.”
“Oh. I didn’t mean to…” Leave it to me to make a comment on something that brought up a dead relative. Smooth.
He gave me a gentle smile to let me know my comment hadn’t ruined anything. “It’s okay. Let’s go in.”
The inside of the cottage looked nothing like I’d expected it to. I’d assumed the beachy exterior would lead to a place with lots of white wood, seashells, and wicker, but I couldn’t have been more mistaken. While the house may have been that quaint cottage at one time, Cash’s style had very much been imprinted on the design and instead of feeling like I stood mere feet away from the beach, it felt like I was back in his condo.
“It’s not much, but I like to use it to get away sometimes,” he explained as he headed toward the kitchen.
I heard his keys land on the granite countertop as I looked around at yet another place Cassian March owned. Sleek lines, expensive furnishings, and what I suspected were fine pieces of art filled out the cream and black rooms. Turning toward the kitchen, I saw him pouring us drinks. “Again with the understatement. I think this place is a lot more than not much.”
“Come. Have a drink. That was a long ride.”
Even now, dressed so casually and standing there in this beach cottage, Cash took up all the space in the room and made me feel slightly out of place in my work clothes that made me seem more like his secretary than his lover or girlfriend, whichever I was. I took the glass he offered and watched him lift his in a toast.
“To always being surprised, Olivia.”
He downed a healthy gulp of whiskey while I inhaled the strong smell, afraid if I drank even a little without eating that I’d lose my head. “I’m not a big fan of surprises, to be honest.”
Lifting his glass again, he smiled in a way that made my core clench in need. “Then to me changing your mind.”
Something about him had changed. It may have been almost imperceptible, but he wasn’t the person who’d smiled and laughed with me as we drove there. Had I done something? I didn’t know. All I knew was Cash had reverted back to that man he’d usually been around me—cool and sexy, but closed off just enough to keep me at arm’s length.
Chapter Fifteen
Cassian
I slowly opened my eyes, vaguely aware that someone lay next to me. But that was impossible. I never spent the entire night with anyone. Not for a long time anyway. My eyes fully open, I looked over to my right and saw a flash of red hair against the white pillowcase next to mine.
Olivia.
What the fuck was I doing? Instead of keeping my distance like I’d planned, I’d ended up sleeping with her not once but twice. Then instead of keeping her at arm’s length, I’d been foolish enough to bring her here on some kind of mini-vacation, like we were goddamned dating. This couldn’t happen, so why was I being so stupid?
It’s not that I didn’t want to be with her. I just couldn’t. Period. Everything I was,
everything I’d done in my life made it so. Why my cock and his brand new best friend my heart were having a hard time dealing with that fact escaped me. So now those two had entirely disregarded what my brain had been saying since the day she walked into my life and we’d all ended up at the beach house on Gasparilla Island like she and I were some couple in love who wanted to get away from it all.
Just one problem. There was no getting away from who I was or all the shittiness I brought into this thing between us, whatever it was.
She was so close, though. I wanted to reach out and run my fingertips over her skin to remember how she’d felt in my arms just hours before. I wanted to be the man who’d thought it was such a grand idea to bring her here instead of the man I really was.
Closing my eyes, I worked to push all that from my mind. I couldn’t change the past or what that past had made me, no matter how much I wanted to. I didn’t want to let her go, though. It was selfish and thoughtless, but I wanted the kind of sweetness she gave my life. That I didn’t deserve an ounce of it didn’t change the fact that I didn’t want to let her go.
She rolled over and looked at me with a cute, sleepy look. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. Sun’s up, but I don’t think it’s too late.”
Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she smiled shyly. “I’d have thought you’d be an eye on your watch kind of guy.”
Smiling, I wondered why I wasn’t at that moment. My watch sat on the nightstand, but I didn’t want to know what time it was. I didn’t want to think about anything but lying there with her, no matter how wrong that was.
“I usually am. I guess this place just has that kind of effect on me,” I lied.